One of the essential things of any Pokemon game is Starter Pokemon, the trio of options that you start out with and are basically the face of the whole game who are the first partners of any Pokemon trainer starting out on their journey. Over the years, game after Pokemon game coming out we have so many coming in their signature 3 Types, Grass, Water and Fire. It shouldn’t be underestimated how big of a deal it is to choose a starter Pokemon, with the whole atmosphere around picking the Pokemon that will stick beside you all the way. If you’re a Pokemon fan, you’d know there’s much more to this, and the imaginary play that comes with every Pokemon title’s starter Pokemon is one of the key aspects that hook players to the whole game.
This is why when the three options of Pokemon Legends: Arceus were first shown, many were unsure as these weren’t new starter Pokemon, they came from previous games and many tried to deduce how GameFreak decided the manner of picking Rowlet, Oshawott and Cyndaquil. It is however a personal opinion of mine, now that I’ve gone through the game multiple times, that these three Starter Pokemon for Legends Arceus were potentially the best picks to take up.
One reason why this is so is that the final evolutions of all three of the Pokemon have a distinct relation to the Land of Hisui, something taken from myths and legends converted into material that would be a good reflection for a Pokemon that’s existing in the Hisui Region. There’s also the fact that all three were the Starter Pokemon from their appropriate games that were picked the most out of the Starter options. There’s much to go through, but it is safe to say every aspect is something that made Pokemon Legends: Arceus a better game, so only good came out of it.
Rowlet:
The round and lovable Grass Type of the Alola Region was the chosen Grass Type Starter Pokemon for Pokemon Legends: Arceus. The small owl Pokemon was the popular choice of the mainline 3DS titles Pokemon Sun and Moon as well as Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. This little guy would go on to become a Grass and Ghost Type Decidueye that would use its signature move in the manner of a bow. This choice was taken to Legends Arceus because its alternate Hisuian Final Evolution, Hisuain Decidueye, would come as the Ronin Pokemon, resembling warriors of old Japan that would not serve any master.
The design shifted to a different color scheme too, Hisuian Decidueye coming with an orange coat with feathers on its head resembling straw hats that have a very cool look to them and are shown many times in Japanese films about the Edo Period. The Type also changed to Grass and Fighting Type, and overall it looked very good as fans were happy to have it as their first Pokemon in the game.
Oshawott:
The favourite Starter of Pokemon Black and White alongside Black 2 White 2 came as the Water Otter Pokemon, Oshawott. This Pokemon would resemble the Samurai line with the first one resembling more of a fresh recruit or a squire, with the final evolution, Samurott, being the Samurai Pokemon, whose design would reflect Samurai Armor. Even its main signature move would have it use its razors in the form of a katana that resembles Samurai using Swords, so you can already imagine why it would be the perfect Pokemon to include in Pokemon Legends: Arceus where Hisui is the Ancient land of Sinnoh.
For the alternate design of Samurott, Hisuian Samurott didn’t go through that big of a disign change as compared to Hisuian Decidueye from the normal Decidueye, but it still got a unique new color which complimented a harsher tone that went in line with the brutality of battle that happened in old times. Hisuian Samurott took on the Water and Dark Type instead of the normal Water and its signature move came to resemble slashes of Samurai weilding Katanas too.
Cyndaquil:
Cyndaquil is a beloved Fire Starter of Gen 2 from the games Gold, Silver and Crystal, and from newer titles too like Heart Gold and Soul Silver. Consistently over all games it became the most popular pick from the Starter Pokemon choice, and with its final evolution, Typhlosion being the reflection of the real world weasel or ferret, it got picked as the Fire Starter of Pokemon Legends Arceus because it greatly resembled the mythical ‘Yokai’ Kamaitachi from Japanese folklore. Tales of Kamaitachi were very common in old times, hence it came through in the form of Hisuian Typhlosion, who even picked up the Ghost Type Matchup to become a Fire and Ghost Type Pokemon.
Hisuian Typhlosion would reflect Kamaitachi by having a more relaxed disposition that reflection on its face always, with the signature new move also coming as a ghastly wisps of fire. This would directly align with its background as well as the feel of Pokemon Legends Arceus, making it another perfect pick for the three Starter Pokemon for the game.
Although Pokemon Legends: Arceus did not come with as many sales, it was the first revision of the Pokemon gameplay formula and fans loved it, and so did critics. The game even went on to win an award, despite being a solo Pokemon title while all other Pokemon titles come in two different versions, sometimes even three with the third being a sort of upgrade. Pokemon Legends: Arceus was so well received that many fans want the Legends series to go through, all commending the atmosphere of ancient times of the Past mixed with unique gameplay where players now traverse the world carefully, catching Pokemon who roam freely as masters of the Hisui Region.
There is also another big thing about the game, players can actually get all three Starter Pokemon from the game Save without the need to trade or anything, which is a huge deal, even if this is possible very later into the game.
With the whole introduction to the game being in the form of these three Starter Pokemon, the first look and feel of the whole game rested on the choice to go with which Pokemon, and for my part whenever I picked whichever of the three, the game changed just a little bit but my Pokemon Legends: Arceus experience was always positive and fun.
The game was filled with new surprises with the Hisuian Final Evolutions of the Starter Pokemon being one of them, and over time the game has developed a large following from a portion of the Pokemon Community. This is why many expect more Legends titles, or atleast want them from GameFreak and The Pokemon Company.
Pokemon Legends Arceus is still available in stores and on the Nintendo eShop for the Nintendo Switch. If interested, check out the game on Pokemon’s official website if you’d like to get it for yourself. There is much to enjoy in the game, especially for a Pokemon fan who still hasn’t given it a try.
